Electric switch



April 1939- 1 M. J. MADISON 2,155,727

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 11, 1938 INVENTOR .Eirzz n Jffladfson,

' ATTORNE Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide improvements is switchesbroadly, but more particularly in a type of switch which is adapted foruse, either within or upon any well known form of mechanical alarmclock, electrical clock, or other device, of such construction andoperation as is capable of actuating the said switch.

Another object is to provide a switch, which in the case of an alarmclock can be attached to the alarm winding shaft, whether said shaftcarries a left or right hand screw thread, and either to switch on oroff an electric current, and thereby energize or de-energize extraneousapparatus, such for instance as opening or closing windows, turning onor oil lights, starting a fuel burner, turning on or offair-conditioning apparatus, or a wide list of additional operations,which would otherwise require manual attention.

A further object is to provide a switch of this character with suitablemeans to support its weight upon the same or other support than thatupon which the clock (or other actuating mechanism) is supported, andalso to prevent said switch from revolving with respect to the saidclock, when suddenly actuated by the mechanism of the latter.

Still another object is to provide a device of this character, withmeans to adjust the height of said switch-supporting means, toaccommodate clock and similar mechanisms of various heights, that is,various heights of the alarm winding shaft with respect to thesupporting surface upon which the clock or equivalent actuatingmechanism rests.

And a still further object is to provide a device of this type, which isof the simplest possible construction and operation, thereby making itpossible to construct the same inexpensively and with a high degree ofefiiciency.

With the objects thus briefly stated, the invention comprises furtherdetails of construction and operation, which are hereinafter fullybrought out in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a rearelevational view of a clock and attached switch of the improved designand illustrating one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear elevational view ofthe switch per se shown partly in section and with the rear closureplate removed; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 isan enlarged diametrical section taken through the rotatablecontact-supporting disc; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view ofthe pair of spaced contacts carried by the oscillatory arm and alsoshown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring to the drawing, any well known type of alarm clock I is shownas being provided with the usual knob 2 for manually setting theposition of the hands of the clock, together with the usual wing nut 3and connected shaft for winding the clock mechanism and the knob 4 andattached pointer, for respectively manually setting and indicating thetime when the alarm is intended to operate. The clock is also providedwith the usual alarm winding shaft 5, from which the usual wing nut hasbeen removed in this instance. The clock itself is, furthermore,provided with suitable feet 6 for operatively supporting it in uprightposition upon a surface I. However, lt is to be understood that theimproved switch mechanism hereinafter described, while shown in thedrawing as attached to the winding shaft 5 and positioned upon theoutside of the clock as a whole, may instead be employed within theclock casing and form a unitary part of the clock mechanism.

One embodiment of the invention is here shown as comprising a hollowcasing 8 of whatever shape and size may be desired and comprising'anormally forward wall 9, through which projects an auxiliary shaft l0having a threaded axially positioned bore I l, adapted to be normallyattached to the winding shaft or stem 5, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and4. This auxiliary shaft upon its inner end portion, that is, within thecasing 8, is provided with an annular shoulder 12, which is surroundedby a corresponding annular portion l3 of a member, formed of insulatingmaterial and comprising an integral arm 14, which extends radiallyoutwardly through an elongated slot in the upper portion of the casing8, and in which slot said arm is adapted to be manually oscillatedbetween the full-line and the dot-and-dash line positions shown inFigs. 1. and 3. To an intermediate portion of said arm, there is securedwithin the casing 8 the fixed ends of a pair of spaced, substantiallyparallel, resilient contact members Ma and lb.

Beyond the arm [4 within said casing, the shaft I0 is provided with anannular flange l5 and adjacent thereto with an annular shoulder l6, uponwhich is frictionally mounted a preferably circular disc I1, carrying atone point of its periphery a transversely extending metallic member I8,and at a substantially diametrically opposite point said disc beingprovided with a cutout region l9, bounded by oppositely positionedshoulders 20, between which extends a pin 2|, or other suitable stop,carried by the forward wall 9 of said casing, and operative to limit theamplitude of oscillation of the disc l1. Upon rotation of said disc, themember 18 is shifted to a position between and connecting, or away fromengagement with the said contact members Ma and Nb.

Said disc is secured with the proper degree of friction upon the shaftI!) by means of a washer 22 and nut 23, the rearmost portion of saidshaft being threaded to receive a suitable wing nut 24,

and extending rotatably through a plate 25, forming a closure for therear and otherwise open side of said casing 8. While the weight of theimproved switch is not great, and might in certain sizes besatisfactorily supported by the winding shaft 5, it is preferable toprovide a separate support for said switch and especially is itnecessary to provide means for preventing said switch casing fromrotating unrestrained upon the rotation of said winding shaft. For thispurpose any suitable depending means may be provided for contacting withone of said clocksupporting feet 6, or directly with the supporting surace 1. However, for purposes of illustration, there is here shown aU-shaped member comprising a support-engageable base 26 and a pair oflaterally spaced upwardly projecting arms 21, which extend slidablyalong the laterally opposite side walls 23 of said casing, and areadjustably secured thereto by set screws or other suitable means 29.

In the operation of this device, the auxiliary shaft Iii is secured tothe alarm winding shaft 5, by either right or left handed adapter, andwhether the threads connecting the two are of the right or left-handtype, the operation of the device is the same and the shaft 5 can bewound by manual engagement with the wing nut 24, while the disc I! isrestrained beyond a certain point from further rotation by engagement ofthe pin 2! with one of said shoulders 20. In the drawings it is assumedthat the alarm mechanism is wound by a clockwise motion of the shaft l8,and in Figs. 3 and 4 the arm I4 is set, so that rotation of the disc I!upon operation of the alarm mechanism will cause an electricalconnection between the spaced contacts Ma and Mb, which are carried bythe arm l4, and have their free end portions extending upon the oppositesides of and in slidable contact with the surfaces of the disc I"! andare, consequently, electrically connected when the contact I8 is shiftedby the alarm mechanism into a position between them. On the other hand,and by contrast, if the electrical device Whose operation is controlledby said switch is normally operating, then the arm 54 is initiallyplaced in the dotand-dash position shown in Fig. 3, so that the contactmembers Ma and Nb are electrically connected by the disc-contact [8,until operation of the alarm mechanism at a predetermined time, asindicated by the indicator 4, shifts said disc so as to withdraw saiddisc contact from between said contact members, thereby breaking thecircuit and discontinuing the operation of the particular electricaldevice controlled by said switch. If the alarm mechanism is such that itis wound by a counterclockwise rotation of the switch shaft l0 and wingnut 24, the relative movements of the disc I! and arm M will be merelythe reverse of that hereinbefore described.

In considering the scope of the present invention, it is to beunderstood that references to clocks and clock mechanisms generally areintended to include any and all mechanisms capable of actuating a switchof the type herein described, and that the alarm winding shaft of aclock merely represents any shaft or the like such as will operate thesaid switch. Furthermore, it is quite obvious that many changes can bemade in minor details of the structure, as well as in its operation,without departing from the principles involved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination of a clock mechanism having an alarm winding shaftadapted to rotate at a predetermined time, with a switch mechanismcomprising a shaft member detachabiy connected to said alarm shaft andthrough which said alarm shaft can be reversely rotated to wind thealarm mechanism, a disc frictionally carried by said shaft member and inturn carrying a metallic contact, and an oscillatory arm provided with apair of metallic brush contacts, adapted in one position of said arm anda given position of said disc to be electrically connected by said disccontact, and movement of said shaft member being operative to shift saiddisc contact from between said brush contacts.

2. The combination of a clock mechanism having an alarm winding shaftadapted to rotate at a predetermined time, with a switch mechanismcomprising a shaft member detachably connected to said alarm shaft andthrough which said alarm shaft can be reversely rotated to wind thealarm mechanism, a disc frictionally carried by said shaft member and inturn carrying a metallic contact, and an oscillatory arm provided with apair of metallic brush contacts, adapted in one position of said arm anda given position of said disc to be electrically connected by said disccontact, and movement of said shaft member being operative to shift saiddisc contact from between said brush contacts, and means to support theweight of said switch mechanism independently of its connection withsaid winding shaft.

3. The combination of a clock mechanism hav ing an alarm winding shaftadapted to rotate at a predetermined time, with a switch mechanismcomprising a shaft member detachably connected to said alarm shaft andthrough which said alarm shaft can be reversely rotated to wind thealarm mechanism, a disc frictionally carried by said shaft member and inturn carrying a. metallic contact, and an oscillatory arm provided withanother metallic contact, said last-mentioned contact being adapted forengagement with said disc contact when said arm and disc are inpredetermined relative positions, and said contacts becoming separatedupon the movement of either said arm or said disc into a diii'erentangular position.

4. The combination of a clock mechanism having an alarm winding shaftadapted to rotate at a predetermined time, with a switch mechanismcomprising a shaft member detachably connected to said alarm shaft andthrough which said alarm shaft can be reversely rotated to wind thealarm mechanism, a disc frictionally carried by said shaft member and inturn carrying a. metallic contact, and an oscillatory arm provided withanother metallic contact, said last-mentioned contact being out ofengagement with said disc contact when said arm and disc are inpredetermined relative positions, and said contacts becominginter-engaged upon the angular movement of either said arm or said discinto a different angular position.

MARTIN J. MADISON.

